(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a charging apparatus and method for charging a battery of an electric car (vehicle).
(2) Description of the Background Art
A charging station is installed in which a charger used to charge the vehicle battery along with a recent development of electric vehicles.
A charge cable is attached onto the charger at the charging station, a connector located at a tip of the charge cable is connected to a counterpart of a connector located on the electric vehicle so as to carry out the charging operation to the battery of the electric vehicle.
Various types of batteries to be installed in the electric vehicles are recently available. Voltages and currents are different when the charging operation is carried out according to the types of the batteries. Thus, it is necessary at any time to set each one of the voltages and currents according to the kinds of the batteries.
A communication control line is installed in parallel to the charge cable as well as a power line used for charging so that charging conditions including the voltage to be charged and set value of the current are transmitted from the electric vehicle to the charger via the communication line. Therefore, it may be considered that the charger charges the battery installed in the electric vehicle according to the charging conditions.
However, if the charging conditions are transmitted via the communication control line and if a communication abnormality occurs between the charger and electric vehicle, the charging conditions cannot be transmitted and, hence, the charging of the battery cannot be carried out any more.